JonLow Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 Anybody out there bought or seen any stainless steel bumpers? How does their appearance compare with standard chromed items? Also I assume stainless is a bit softer than steel? My Spitfire 1500 front bumper has a fair dent damage, so looking for new set, eventually I hope. The usual retailers want a ridiculous price for a new standard set and rechroming is not much cheaper, so any s/steel observations please, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTV8 Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 I had a set on my old Stag, they were great, as a daily-driver the choice was simple because I didn’t want to be changing them again in 3 years. if I ever get around to changing them on my 4 I’d definitely go stainless steel. ...... Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 not used any but stainless is a very hard material , should last a lifetime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 I'm drawn to them, but the price is getting close to re-chroming. I hear stories that they are not well made and need fettling. Do they come from China? Also my front bumper has a couple of "dings" from flying debris which sort of resemble dimples. Stainless being harder, would the damage be lesser or greater to the same flying debris? Would the flying wheel nut dent the bumper or distort it? Also stainless can rust, I have good quality stainless cutlery but occasionally it has a rust spot when it comes out the dish washer. Not a problem with bumpers because TSSC are, after all, known as "The Polishers" however, the inside is unseen. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Clark Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 I fitted Harrington stainless bumpers on my TR6 about 8 years ago and am very pleased with them. They fitted well and continue to look good. In bright light, chrome has a slightly blue hue; stainless is very faintly yellow by comparison but if you didn't know, you'd be unlikely to notice the difference. Nigel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68vitesse Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 Chrome items I have bought never seem to last as long as the originals, i would buy stainless were possible. Chrome can show rust, changes caused by the heat in welding or surface contamination etc. Regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTV8 Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 4 hours ago, dougbgt6 said: Do they come from China? No, Vietnam is where the Harrington supplied items are produced (I believe that Harrington supply all the UK retail outrages) ....... Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 Ah, I've a dodgy Denon CD player, to my surprise made in Vietnam. I've had three, the first two broke down within a month. The third now jumps and skips on CDs that work fine in the car. So not impressed with Vietnam quality either. Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTV8 Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 Fortunately no electronics in a set of bumpers ...... Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Clark Posted March 29, 2020 Report Share Posted March 29, 2020 39 minutes ago, AndyTV8 said: No, Vietnam is where the Harrington supplied items are produced (I believe that Harrington supply all the UK retail outrages) ....... Andy Yes, Harrington bumpers are made in Vietnam and they are they only manufacturer, so all stainless bumpers from all UK suppliers should be the same. Just look for any suppliers with a special offer and order at the best price you can find. Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjit Posted March 30, 2020 Report Share Posted March 30, 2020 I've got a set of Harrington bumpers on my Mk IV and very happy with them. Look: Park next to a Spitfire with freshly rechromed bumpers and yes, you can see the difference (the chrome gives a much more mirror finish). Park next to one with slightly older chrome bumpers though and the SS ones look as good if not better. If you own your car to polish it, go chrome. If you own your car to drive it, so stainless. Fit: I needed quite a few washers to fill the gap between car and bumper mounting and to slightly elongate one of the body holes at the rear to get the holes to align BUT I wouldn;t like to say how much that's down to the bumper being wrong and how much is down to my car not being quite the same shape it was when it left the factory 47 years ago! Oh, and they use a really odd thread for the captive nuts in the bumper that didn't seem to match the supplied bag of bolts. Sorted with a trip to eBay. I'm only in SE London so, once we're aloud to socialise again, you're welcome to see them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixasStandard Posted March 30, 2020 Report Share Posted March 30, 2020 The 2 comments that I've heard from the Sunbeam Alpine community on this issue are that the Vietnamese bumpers are thinner gauge than the originals and that the shine looks different. The thinner gauge issue would be the one that would worry me more, potentially making them more prone to damage from road debris whilst driving. There are so many potential factors here that could colour your decision: cost; originality; quality; strength; aesthetics...........and each of us will give each of those different weight.........so there's not really a right or wrong decision, just your own particular decision! Unless the cost was really prohibitive I personally would opt for rechroming original items. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTV8 Posted March 30, 2020 Report Share Posted March 30, 2020 2 hours ago, SixasStandard said: The thinner gauge issue would be the one that would worry me more, potentially making them more prone to damage from road debris whilst driving. Quite right that some will value particular qualities in a different way than others, there is no right/wrong choice. The comment of being more prone to damage did make me smile though - they are not made of tin foil and Swiss cheese I think you’d get the same sized dent from whatever you hit regardless of which one you chose. ...... Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixasStandard Posted March 30, 2020 Report Share Posted March 30, 2020 2 hours ago, AndyTV8 said: Quite right that some will value particular qualities in a different way than others, there is no right/wrong choice. The comment of being more prone to damage did make me smile though - they are not made of tin foil and Swiss cheese I think you’d get the same sized dent from whatever you hit regardless of which one you chose. ...... Andy Sorry Andy, but we'll have to agree to differ. The comments from a fellow Sunbeam owner that I referred to were quite clear.......that the the gauge of the steel used in the Vietnamese offering was a lot thinner than OE items, so damage will be greater to an S/S version in comparison to an OE bumper subjected to an identical impact. Damage can happen from a whole host of causes, not least the tow bar of other vehicles whilst parking........so as I said previously, you have to make your decision based on what's important to you personally, and the usage profile of your classic. I'm glad that I made you smile though.......we all need a bit of that at the moment don't we? Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted March 30, 2020 Report Share Posted March 30, 2020 When we had a proper mini it came with one chrome and one stainless bumper (same bumper fits both ends, what a sensible idea!) and both were genuine. The stainless bumper was a fair bit thinner than the chrome one. I guess chrome needs a fair thickness to be polished etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68vitesse Posted March 30, 2020 Report Share Posted March 30, 2020 Mild steel is easier to shape than stainless for a given thickness which is probably why the stainless ones are made from thinner metal. Regards Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjit Posted March 31, 2020 Report Share Posted March 31, 2020 Can't say I'd ever describe my stainless bumpers are being thin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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